All eyes are set on the Indo-Pacific region.

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has shifted the international community’s focus to eastern part of the world. The geopolitical churn, the world will undergo, once Russian invasion of Ukraine is over, has begun to unroll its influence with many countries of the Indo-Pacific region busy revisiting their foreign policies. In this context, the role of Indo-Pacific region only enhances manifold. It was Karl Haushofer a German geopolitician who first coined the term ‘Indo-pacific’ in the 1920s. The term ‘Indo-Pacific’ is an amalgamation of the names of the two busiest and the most significant oceans of the world; the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Cartographers basically perceive this region through an imagination of a space, the third criteria to interpret the world cartography. Based on the same imagination, the region stretches from the littorals of West USA to the littorals of East Asia. The region is home to roughly 38 countries of the world. It houses around more than 65% of the world population, making it one of the most crucial areas. About 62% of global GDP is accounted from this region. Nearly 44% of total world’s surface area lies in this region which is a confluence of two major oceans of the world.

The recent shift in focus of the almost entire world to this region has come on the heels of Russian invasion of Ukraine. No sooner had Russia attacked Ukraine, than this area took the center stage into the eyes of international community. Not long ago, the organization of military-cum-economic alliance in the form of QUAD and AUKUS along with other major and decisive policies of the most powerful country of the world – the USA, has given it an upper hand in the region. Keeping the vast and dynamic trading system of the area in mind, India has always encouraged an open, free and inclusive trade approach in the region.

In order to better understand the significance of this region, it is pertinent enough to go through the following points:

1.A major geopolitical transition – The writing on the wall is quite clear. Once the Russian invasion gets over, the entire world in general and the eastern part of the world in particular will undergo a major transformation. The world order may witness a lateral shift from unipolarity to multi-polarity via bipolarity. With the calling off the USA’s peace mission in Afghanistan previous year, and the near end of its presence in the region, the USA has always been eyeing for a new opportunity to regain some ground in the region. It has not only reoccupied some lost ground but also further consolidated its position by throwing up military-cum-economic groups, such as, QUAD and AUKUS.

2.To contain China’s assertiveness – For the purpose of comprehensive understanding of China’s growing assertiveness in the region, the idiom ‘the elephant in the room’ may be changed to ‘the dragon in the room’ symbolizing the need to contain dragon’s influence in the region, particularly in the South China Sea. China has always believed upon its centuries old expansionist policy through subduing its immediate neighbors. For instance, Sri Lanka’s failure in paying back the funding capital debt to China, following which the island nation has to handover Hambantota port to China on a 99 year lease which would only fan the latter’s influence further. The One Road One Belt (OROB) initiative, a reminiscent of erstwhile Silk Road, is an extensive infrastructural project aimed at connecting East Asia to West Europe, therefore providing Beijing yet another leverage in the fields pertaining to trade and commerce.

3.Silver lining lies with India – The term Indo-Pacific was earlier known as Asia-Pacific. It was changed to its current name by realizing India’s growing  influence in the region. India’s role in containing China’s growing assertiveness can be better understood by the fact that both the USA and the European Council have begun taking serious interest in the region. The USA has almost always taken India’s stand, whenever the latter has an issue with China. Most of the countries belonging to EU have also favored India over China especially, in the border disputes. In the United Nation itself, barring a few countries, maximum nations have lent their weight behind India’s cause. In her foreign policy, India has always echoed for ensuring stability and peace in the region.

If one considers about the challenges that come through India’s way in bottling up China’s growing firmness, those would be in the form of FTA (free trade agreement) and economic capabilities of both the nuclear powers. Comparatively, China enjoys free trade relationship with more number of countries than India, giving it an absolute upper edge. China’s assertiveness can be contained if all the like-minded countries huddle themselves together and work in tandem for promoting the spirits of peace and stability in the region.